


In The Endgame

by RandomHamster33



Series: The One Where Loki Survives [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Fix-It, Gen, Hurt Thor (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Lives, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-03-26 17:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19010395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomHamster33/pseuds/RandomHamster33
Summary: After the events of Infinity War, Loki is left to pick up the broken pieces of himself and his brother, and, oh yeah, deal with the aftermath of Thanos' Snap. Maybe he'll even help save the world along the way.(Takes place after my story "Give me Strength to Fight." Recommended to read that first, if not just for more context.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (Recommended to read the first story in the series before this one.)
> 
> After forever of brainstorming, I finally got a first chapter written. Only an entire month late. Oh well.

When Loki enters the room, it's dark. This doesn't bother him, of course, nor does it surprise him, so he enters all the same, flicking the light as on he does so.

 

"Thor," Loki says, directing his words at the very Thor-like lump on the bed. There's no response from the thunderer.

 

"They're calling a meeting. Seems there's been, a what would you call it? A break in the case," Loki continues. He stands in the doorway, arms crossed, watching. "Come on, brother. You can't stay in here forever. When's the last time you even went outside?"

 

Thor rolls over on the bed, turning his back to Loki and still not giving a response. The trickster rolls his eyes and moves a hand to the light switch again, rapidly flicking it on and off in an attempt to annoy the sulking god in bed.

 

" _Come on,_ Thor! I'm not the only one who needs your attention at the moment!" Loki growls, continuing his ministrations with the lights.

 

"Loki," the annoyed voice finally snaps. Loki stops the seizure inducing performance and lets his hand rest down by his side.

 

"They think they have found Thanos' whereabouts, brother," the younger god says, his voice softer this time.

 

Finally, with a sigh, Thor pushes himself up on his elbows. He throws the layer of blankets off and gets to his feet, snagging a sweatshirt that's laying on the nightstand nearby. Pulling it over his head, he walks towards the door.

 

Loki steps to the side to let Thor go first, unable to stop the little smirk that tugs at his lips as his older brother gives him an irritated glance.

 

"You think you're funny," Thor says lowly as he takes the lead down the hallway.

 

"Well, I had to get your attention, of course."

 

* * *

 

The briefing went well enough. Loki isn't sure how much he trusts the one they call "Danvers," but she seems headstrong and arrogant—a lot like Thor, he thinks. Maybe more like younger Thor, but still.

 

Loki is anxious about confronting Thanos. The past two times they've fought, the Mad Titan had almost killed him. He can tell the other Avengers are just as nervous as he is, but most don't show it.

 

"Okay, who here hasn't been to space?" Rocket's voice comes from the front of the ship. Several of the team raise their hands, looking confused.

 

"Why?" Rhodes asks.

 

"You better not throw up on my ship! Approaching jump in three, two, one . . ."

 

The Benatar shoots through the wormhole. The heroes who have not been to space until this exact moment hang on for dear life.

 

As Danvers flies down to the surface of the planet, Loki turns his head to look at Thor. The thunder god is staring at nothing, his eyes facing straight ahead and devoid of light.

 

"Penny for your thoughts?" Loki asks quietly, gaining his brother's attention. Thor just shakes his head. Before he can say anything else, Danvers approaches the Benatar from below.

 

"No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him," she explains, her face grave.

 

"And that's enough," Nebula says.

 

"Alright, we have our game plan—don't stray from it," Rogers orders with a glance around the ship. There are nods in response, and everyone begins unstrapping themselves from their seats and making last minute preparations for battle.

 

Loki summons his armor, his cape falling over his shoulders and horns fading into existence. He glances over again at Thor, who is clutching onto Stormbreaker as if it's his last lifeline.

 

"We _will_ be victorious, Thor," the trickster assures. Thor turns to meet his gaze.

 

"We'd better be," Thor says, and then, in a softer tone, "or I will not be returning home." His mismatched eyes cast downwards, and Loki frowns. He doesn't know what to say to that.

 

* * *

 

The trip back to Earth is dead silent. No one is smiling, talking, or even panicking. They're all in shock; Loki is stunned by what has just occurred. He never thought he'd see Thanos dead, but here they are. He did in fact just see Thor slice the Mad Titan's head clean off.

 

" _Where are they?!"_

 

" _Answer the question!"_

 

" _The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose, beyond_ temptation."

 

" _You murdered trillions!"_

 

A strange feeling makes Loki furrow his eyebrows. He shifts slightly, uncomfortable in his seat before looking over at Thor, and—

 

He's crying.

 

Not sobbing or weeping, just silent. A tear runs down the curve of Thor's left cheek, and something inside Loki hurts, but he refrains from saying anything. He doesn't want to draw attention to this, to Thor's sadness, doesn't want anyone else to see it or mention it.

 

_There's a magical whir as Thor raises his axe and swings, and Thanos' head is severed from his body in the blink of an eye. The assembled heroes freeze, shocked. No one says a word in the pregnant pause that follows._

 

_Loki is distinctly aware his mouth has fallen open at the sight of his torturer dead on the dirty floor in this dirty hut on this frankly unremarkable planet. He feels like he should be celebrating, laughing, trash talking this monster's death gleefully, spitting on the corpse, even—but he can't seem to bring himself to even move from where he's frozen in place._

 

" _What . . . what did you do?"_

 

_Loki looks to his brother's face for what seems the hundredth time today, and what he sees there makes his mouth finally shut._

 

" _I went for the head."_

 

Loki turns his gaze back on the empty ahead, looking deep into space. He is distinctly aware of Thor's grief beside him and hopes no one will notice. A glamor to shield the thunderer's tears might be unappreciated, though he's tempted.

 

A sick feeling spreads inside of Loki at the final realization of defeat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between chapters! I’ve been on vacation for the past week and some odd days and only just got back—but hey, I wasn’t slacking; I was thinking about ideas the entire time! XD 
> 
> Also, this is where it starts to get kinda dark. I'm really going to expand on Thor’s mental state in this story, so beware. This isn't the only time they'll talk about it.

Thor disappears the second the Benatar lands. He shoulders his way out of the spaceship, stepping through the darkness of the compound’s exterior and the rain pouring down. A bolt of lightning illuminates the sky, an angry roll of thunder that lasts much longer than it should following soon after. The Avengers around Loki watch the thunder god stalk away to vanish inside. No one is smiling, and many of them look concerned.  

 

“He gonna be okay?” someone asks. There is no response.  

 

Something nudges Loki’s arm, and he blinks, having not realized that said person had asked him.  

 

“Pardon?” the trickster questions back, turning to face them. It's Banner, his face full of worry.  

 

“I asked if Thor is gonna be okay,” Bruce repeats.  

 

Loki frowns, hesitating; he’s seen Thor upset before, but never has he been like this.  

 

“Loki?” comes someone else’s voice, this time Rogers’. “Is there something you’re not telling us?” 

 

The god of mischief quickly shakes off his feeling of dread and spins around, backstepping towards the exit of the Benatar.  

 

“I shall see how Thor is doing—I'm . . . sure he’ll be fine,” Loki hurriedly answers, plastering a grin on his face before turning and practically running down the ship’s steps. He tries to play it off casual, but there was something off about Thor’s attitude today and Loki doesn’t like it.  

 

* * *

 

“Well, _that_ was weird,” Natasha comments as the trickster speedily walks off. The other heroes are slow getting out of the Benatar due to the pouring rain.  

 

“He’s worried about his brother, I think,” Bruce says nervously, wringing his hands together. 

 

“Loki, _worried_ about _Thor?_ Give me a break. The guy would rather stab Thor in the back and laugh in his face before he’d care about him,” Tony snorts with a roll of his eyes. Bruce gives him a look before continuing.  

 

“Look, I know you guys still don’t trust Loki much, but I’ve seen a different side of him, okay? Just . . . I think we need to worry about Thor right now. I don’t think killing Thanos helped him at all.”  

 

“Point Break is always okay, though, right . . . ? I mean, it’s Thor,” Tony murmurs, unsure even if he believes that himself.  

 

“You saw how he was after Thanos snapped. The guy blames himself, and now . . .” Steve trails off, looking away.  

 

“Well, he’s gotta get over it. He had the chance to kill Thanos the first time and he didn’t,” Rocket snaps. Everyone looks at him, startled, and the raccoon sighs. “Sorry, I know that sounded harsh. I'm just frustrated.” He sits down heavily on the Benatar’s steps, furry chin in his hands.  

 

“We _all_ are,” Steve says. “But we have to come to the understanding that the stones are gone.” 

 

“Yeah, don’t remind me,” Rhodey mumbles. No one says anything else after that.  

 

* * *

 

Loki pads down the still dimly lit Avengers compound to Thor’s room. There is a trail of water leading to the door, so he knows his brother is in there. Carefully, Loki knocks on the door and calls: 

 

“Thor? May I come in?”  

 

The trickster waits silently for a response, ear nearly pressed up against the door. There's no response from the other side. Loki twists the doorknob, resigning himself to simply coming in (not that he’s prone to respecting Thor’s privacy anyway).  

 

The bedroom is empty, but the light to the bathroom is on and the door is closed. There is still a small path of water droplets spattered along the way, so Loki wastes no time in just opening the bathroom door.  

 

“Thor!”  

 

The hair on the back of Loki’s neck stands up, goosebumps prickling across his skin despite the fact he really doesn’t _get_ cold, and he rushes forward.  

 

Thor is bent over the sink, his hands gripping onto the porcelain so hard he’s shattered it, pieces stabbing into his hands to leave blood dripping onto the floor. The mirror is also shattered into a million little shards, no doubt because the thunderer punched it.  

 

“You’ve got to calm down, brother,” Loki warns, hands floating near Thor but not touching him. The thunder god is on the verge of hyperventilation, his face pale, tears in his eyes.  

 

“I-I can’t do this,” Thor stammers. He feels his heart fluttering in his chest, which tightens with every breath and leaves him winded.  

 

“Thor, come on, just calm down and we can talk—” 

 

“I CAN’T!”  

 

Loki stumbles back as his brother explodes, hysterical. He shoves the mischievous god backwards, hitting him in the nose painfully. Thor stands there, chest heaving and a snarl on his lips even through his hyperventilation as he glares at the younger god.

 

“Brother . . . take deep breaths, sit down, ground yourself,” Loki starts again, ignoring the outburst and his now bleeding nose in an attempt to help. He idly wipes the back of one gloved hand across his face.  

 

Thor stumbles, his breath hitching through his tears, and he grabs onto the already broken sink, leaving another bloody handprint.  

 

“I—I-I can’t,” Thor whispers. He feels as if he’s falling apart. His chest is still rising and falling rapidly, though he’s not as frantic as he was just previously.  

 

“Yes, you can. Sit down, yes, right there,” Loki murmurs, guiding Thor to the edge of the bathtub, where he falls heavily into a seated position. Both their capes pool behind them as Loki also sits. It takes a while for the trickster to get Thor’s breathing back to normal, to stop the tears.  

 

They sit in silence for a long time after that. Thor is staring ahead, numb, while Loki keeps one eye on his brother.  

 

“I failed,” Thor finally says after several minutes, his voice barely audible.  

 

“If you failed, then I failed twice as hard,” Loki responds. With wet eyes, Thor looks at his brother in confusion. The younger god just shrugs, then says, “I was there, too, Thor. We both had the chance to kill Thanos beforehand, and instead, I also chose the path of revenge. I wanted him to suffer. I should have known he’d brush it off, but I just . . . I wanted him to pay for everything he’d done, just as you did. The things he _did_ to me . . .” Images flash in Loki’s head, and he has to suppress a shudder. “We are both failures, but I suppose I am a hundred times more a failure than you, in retrospect. In light of both our lives.”  

 

Thor gazes forward again, slowly nodding. He thinks carefully about what Loki has just said, but he’s so exhausted mentally that it’s almost hard to grasp.  

 

“I wish now that Thanos’ actions would have killed me in recompense for my failures,” Thor then admits. “I think about it." He pauses. "Often.”  

 

“. . . I used to. Sometimes I still do.” Loki warily eyes the thunderer. "I understand why you did not just kill Thanos. Do not blame yourself so harshly for letting your emotions guide your actions. There is no guarantee he would not have still won either way. You are stronger than these thoughts, Thor." 

 

Thor drops his head. “Not strong enough.” 

 

“You are. Believe me, I know. You've always been strong enough,” Loki replies, poking Thor casually in the side, “. . . Brother.”  

 

Thor gazes at the younger god with wet eyes, a frown on his face.  

 

“We can get through this,” Loki says. “Like I said, ‘the sun will shine on us again.’” 

 

 Thor’s frown tugs into a small smile. He clasps a hand onto Loki’s neck, the motion filled with care. 

 

_“Brother.”_  

 

* * *

 

 

"Whoa, Reindeer Games, you alright?"

 

Loki pauses on his way through the kitchen, seeing all the eyes on him and his still blood smeared face. 

 

"I am fine," Loki replies, "and Thor should be fine as well. In time."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter is when things will start moving along faster, more in the fashion of the actual movie. I just want to dive deeper into how Thor is feeling.

The first night it happens, the night after they return from the Garden, Loki nearly stabs Thor in the gut.  

 

Thor bursts into Loki’s room—which is only a door down the hall—eyes wild, breathing hard, tears threatening to spill over, a hand on the door frame as he hesitates there. Loki, at the sudden intrusion, leaps out of bed in a frenzy, a snarl already on his lips and blades materializing in both hands. 

 

“Wha—Thor?” Loki stammers, confused upon seeing his brother staggering towards him. “What’re you doing, barging into my room at this hour?” His daggers vanish again, but he’s still so surprised that he stands there even as the thunderer stumbles forward, allowing Thor to snag him in an embrace that forces all the breath out of his lungs.   

 

Loki makes a choked sound and tries to shift, only managing to get his face over Thor’s shoulder. The thunderer is shaking as silent tears run down his face. Thor’s sweating, and Loki shifts uncomfortably at the feeling against his t-shirt. 

 

“Thor?” Loki coughs.  

 

Thor doesn’t respond, instead just keeping Loki tightly in his arms.  

 

“Thor, what are you doing?” Loki asks, voice pinched as he’s being nearly crushed by his older brother’s embrace.  

 

“You’re safe,” is all Thor says, “you’re safe.” He continues to whisper it again and again.  

 

* * *

 

This begins to happen at least every other night.  

 

Thor either slams the door open or even breaks it if it’s locked— 

 

“Thor, you’ve got to stop that!”  

 

—and hugs Loki, taking him in desperate embraces in a fleeting effort to bring them together, for Thor to know that, _yes_ , Loki is there, he’s _alive._   

 

Thor doesn’t like to talk about it when morning comes, when he realizes he’s passed out in Loki’s room again (sometimes kicked to the floor during the middle of the night when the trickster grows sick of being smothered). He just jerks awake to find himself in his pajamas, Loki already long gone most of the time, and sighs. He gets up, goes to his own room, showers, gets himself dressed.  

 

Loki turns his back on him in annoyance some days because Thor won’t talk about it, won’t discuss this _very unhealthy_ action that he keeps doing.  

 

“Thor, you and I really need to talk about what’s happening—” 

  

“I do not want to.”  

 

It gets so bad some nights, when Thor busts in and breaks down in panic as he’s clutching onto Loki as if he’s his only lifeline, that Loki will forcefully break away and touch Thor’s forehead to put him to sleep. These are the nights that Loki leaves him on the bed and retreats to the couch.  

 

Of course, Loki could put an enchantment on the door to make sure Thor can’t enter, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t really know _why_ he doesn’t, but Loki has decided it’s not the right decision.  

 

* * *

 

Nearly three weeks of Thor’s erratic behavior, these night terrors, before Loki can’t take it anymore. The team has begun to notice (well, they’ve noticed, but not the full extent of it) and are wary to mention it. It's not until Loki and Thor break into a screaming match that brings everyone, curious yet hesitant, to the common room one early afternoon does the team realize that there’s a lot more going on.  

 

“Loki, I'm not doing it to upset you—” 

 

“I need my space! You're _suffocating_ me!”  

 

“I know. I don’t mean to keep intruding, but I have to make sure!” 

 

“Thor, you need to get help! I can’t keep doing this over and over and over again!”  

 

The remains of the team share glances as they watch the argument, each of them confused in their own way.  

 

“And what’re you all looking at?” Loki snaps, eyes burning with a fiery intensity. He whips his head around, pausing in his fight with Thor, and glares at the people standing around the entrances to the room.  

 

“Loki, calm down, it is our bickering that drew them here,” Thor says. He reaches out to touch his brother’s arm but as soon as his fingers brush against Loki, the trickster recoils, literally hissing at Thor in anger.  

 

“Do _not_ touch me,” Loki snarls before turning his back on Thor and stalking out of the room, shouldering Rhodey out of the way when he passes by. “Get out of my way.”  

 

The team stares at the furious god as he exits.  

 

“Uh . . . well, that was . . . _interesting,”_ Stark deadpans.  

 

Thor sighs, suddenly sounding very tired, “I am sorry you had to witness us arguing.” He pauses, unsure of what to say next. “I am going to seek solace. Apologies.” With that, Thor also leaves, looking emptier and more uncertain than any one of them has ever seen him.  

 

“Resident gods fighting, awesome,” Tony mutters with a roll of his eyes.  

 

“I wonder what that was about,” Rhodey says.  

 

“Nothing good. Did you see the way Loki reacted to Thor touching him? There’s something bigger than we previously thought happening here,” Steve says.  

 

“Well, we know Thor has been having nightmares,” Tony continues, “so it’s probably related.”  

 

“Someone should probably go talk to the big guy,” Natasha suggests. She glances over at Rocket briefly, but the raccoon is already shaking his head.  

 

“Uh, pass. I’m not very good at the whole ‘comforting’ thing,” Rocket explains. He nods at Nebula, a motion that means ‘let’s get outta here.’ They both leave after that. 

 

“Should someone find Loki too?” Steve asks.  

 

“Um, I think we’d better let that spitting cat be until he _wants_ company,” Rhodey responds, a bit incredulously. The others quickly agree.  

 

“I can go talk to Thor,” Bruce says with a small nod. He wrings his hands together nervously but turns in the direction Thor left.  

 

“Okay. Tell us how it goes, Doctor,” Steve says.  

 

“FRIDAY, where is Point Break now?” Tony asks before Bruce can go off searching. 

 

“Mr. Odinson is currently walking out of the east door to the green houses,” the AI replies diligently. 

 

Tony glances over at Bruce with a raised eyebrow and a shrug. “Go get ‘em, tiger.” 

 

* * *

 

Thor sighs as he sits down on a bench in one of the green houses. He feels tired, his body heavy, and he knows it’s not all from how poorly he’s been sleeping as of late. He rubs a hand over his face just as a sound distracts him from his thoughts, and he glances over to the door.  

 

“Heyah, Thor,” Bruce greets as he quietly shuffles in.  

 

“Banner,” the Asgardian returns with a dip of his head. He clasps his hands together, looking down at them between his legs. 

 

“Mind if I . . . join you?”  

 

Thor simply shrugs, not lifting his gaze. Bruce takes a seat next to the god and ponders his words carefully.  

 

“So, Thor, back when we were on Sakaar, and I was trapped as the Hulk for two years,” Bruce starts, “you helped me. And now, I can see that you’re struggling.” 

 

Thor snorts; struggling is such an underwhelming word for what he’s feeling.  

 

“I want to help, Thor. I’m just gonna be upfront with you—we’re worried about you, pal. We know you’ve taken Thanos harder than the rest of us, we know you’ve been having nightmares, and that whole thing with Loki just now? We’re concerned about you. What else has been going on?”  

 

Bruce looks over at the god for a long time before he gets an answer.  

 

“Every night when I fall asleep, I see the same thing,” Thor begins. “I see Loki, and he—” The Asgardian cuts off, throat constricting. “I see him, dying, and I can’t—I can’t save him. Sometimes it’s him falling into the Void, lost forever; being impaled on Svartalfheim, dying in my arms; vanishing like all those other lost souls in the Snap; but mostly,” Thor feels tears welling in his eyes, “I see him, held by Thanos, and when he’s thrown down at my feet as if he’s garbage, I . . . I never know if it’s real. It all _feels_ so real, in my dreams. And when I wake up, terrified, I can’t stop myself from leaping out of bed and going to Loki’s room to make sure he’s still . . . alive.” He swipes a hand across his face, catching the few tears that are trailing down. “I know I anger Loki by barging in and waking him up, grabbing him . . . but if I can touch him, it’s the most reassuring way to know he is still here and everything since the Statesmen has not just been me hallucinating.” 

 

Bruce stays quiet for a moment before speaking. “But . . . you saved him, Thor. Thanos didn’t kill Loki. Those other times? They didn’t kill your brother either.” He pauses. “You’ve never talked about how you saved him, right? Maybe that’ll make you feel better.”  

 

Thor glances over at Bruce, and, after a moment, nods.  

 

“After Heimdall sent you away, it was just Loki and I left. One of Thanos’ goons killed Heimdall for his actions.” 

 

Bruce winces. “I’m sorry.” 

 

Thor feels a slight smile tug at his lips. “Do not be. Heimdall saved you because he wanted to. It was his choice.”  

 

Bruce nods, though he still feels guilty.  

 

“Anyway, Loki tried to trick Thanos into sending him to Earth just so he could get close. It was foolish, a dead wish, for Loki to stand up to Thanos like that, and of course my brother had no chance of getting a killing blow. Thanos, he . . . he took Loki by the throat, and he . . .” Thor’s heart starts pounding harder in his chest. All he can is Loki’s face turning blue—not the right shade for a Frost Giant, no, this was too real— 

 

“It’s okay, Thor. You can stop if you want,” Bruce murmurs.  

 

Thor exhales sharply, forcing himself to calm down and remember the present. “N-no, I'm fine.” He clears his throat before continuing. “I saw him, dying, and I couldn’t just sit by—though restrained as I was—and watch the last piece of myself slip away. Somehow, against all odds, I broke free from my bonds and managed to distract Thanos long enough for him to drop Loki. Even after that, I was not sure he, or I, would live. Thanos destroyed the ship and vanished, and Loki and I were left drifting endlessly in space. We were rescued, of course, by the Guardians, but . . .” 

 

“But nothing, Thor. You saved Loki, and that’s what should matter, right?”  

 

“But I could not save everyone else. I could not stop Thanos, could not keep him from snapping and killing half the universe. What good is saving one life if I could not save the world?” 

 

“Thor. I know you didn’t really just say that, after everything you’ve done to save Loki, even after every bad thing he’s done.”  

 

The thunderer glances over at Bruce, sadness in his eyes.  

 

“You’ve told me yourself—you've fought your entire life for your family, so why give up now, when you still have someone left? It could be worse, and you could have watched your brother die for real. Isn't that worth anything?” the doctor asks, pressing Thor for a response.  

 

“I . . . I know. You're right. Afterall, I've always wanted Loki and I to be together again, and now that he is alive, I'm acting like that is not enough,” Thor murmurs.  

 

“It doesn’t mean you can’t be frustrated that we lost against Thanos, but we’re going to find a way to reverse what he’s done, I'm sure of it. We just . . . don’t know how yet. Don't give up, buddy.” Bruce actually reaches out and pats Thor’s back, earning a briefly confused glance. “Just, uh, you know, maybe talk to Loki about all this, yeah? Find a way to not bust into his room every night.”  

 

Thor nods, pursing his lips. “Aye. He’s not very happy with me, is he?” 

 

“It would seem not. But he is your brother, I'm sure if you just told him about your nightmares, he’d understand.” 

 

“Thank you, Doctor Banner. I will find a way to help myself.” 

 

“You don’t have to do it alone, you know that? Not everything has to be a one-man affair.”  

 

“Of course. I will think on your words.”  


	4. Chapter 4

It takes Thor all of a minute to figure out where Loki is after making his way back inside the compound. Steve and Natasha are still talking in the common room when Thor enters, and he dips his head at them as they turn to face him.  

 

“Thor—feeling better?” the Captain asks.  

 

“Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern. If I might trouble you again, would either of you happen to know where Loki is? I need to speak to him,” Thor says.  

 

“Uh, we have no—” 

 

“Prince Loki is currently practicing magic on the lowest level,” FRIDAY interrupts helpfully.  

 

Natasha cocks an eyebrow. “ _Prince_ Loki?”  

 

“Why yes. He informed me that he was not partial to being called Mr. Laufeyson. This was the next best option.” 

 

Steve and Natasha exchange glances, but Thor smiles lightly at it.  

 

“Thank you, machine,” the thunderer says. He nods to the others and heads to the elevator. On the way down, he ponders his failures as King.  

 

* * *

 

Loki is indeed where FRIDAY told him he was, and Thor casually knocks on the wall to make sure his brother knows he’s approaching.  

 

“I know you’re there without the clues, Thor,” Loki sighs, turning to face the other god. He flips his hair over his shoulders and straightens his back, the light of his magic vanishing from his hands. “What do you want? Finally come to talk about how _self-destructive_ your behavior has been?”  

 

“Not to be callous, but is self-destructive behavior something you can be so judging of, brother?” Thor asks as he walks forward, and he catches the way Loki tenses at the question.  

 

A moment after, however, Loki snorts, scowling. “Point taken.” He strides over to a wall and slides down it before looking to Thor, obviously waiting for him to begin.  

 

Thor settles against the same wall a few feet down and explains his nightmares in detail to his brother. Loki listens quietly, taking in Thor’s words, his thoughts, his feelings, and why he ends up in his room many nights.  

 

“You should have just told me,” Loki says, “though I had guessed nightmares such as those were the cause of your nightly intrusions. I was hoping you would just tell me, however.” 

 

“I . . . didn’t want to speak about my weakness any more than I already felt it,” Thor admits.  

 

“And yet I’m supposed to be okay with you barging in? I don’t much like being _smothered,_ Thor.”  

 

The thunderer flushes and scratches at his neck.  

 

Loki rolls his eyes with a sigh. “You’re lucky I don’t hate you as much as I let on.” He smirks lightly. “But we’re going to have to find a way to get you to stop with it. I cannot _stand_ being attacked in my room at night.” 

 

“Of course. I just . . . I don’t know how,” Thor says. “I’ve tried, but even then, I still do it.”  

 

Loki stares ahead, frowning. “I’ll think of something.”  

 

Thor notices the look and asks, “Is something on your mind, brother?” 

 

The trickster glances over at Thor, sees the concern on his face, and sighs. “Just so you know, you are not alone in your endeavor against bad dreams.” 

 

“Loki?” 

 

“Sometimes I still see you at Thanos’ mercy. Sometimes it goes farther than that. Mostly, however, I just see him, and what he has done to me.”  

 

Thor sits up straighter, about to inquire, but Loki cuts him off.  

 

“Nothing good, I can assure you,” he says. “But I can handle my . . . _issues_ more easily than you. I have been dealing with them longer, so it’s only natural.” 

 

“Loki . . . you’ve alluded to Thanos’ torture before. I won’t pretend to know what it was like, nor will I press for answers that you will never give me, but if you ever want to talk—” 

 

“I won’t.”  

 

Thor gives him a look, but continues. “Either way, we have each other, and that is enough for me. I have been shown that at least, by saving you, I’ve done my part.”  

 

Loki frowns, furrowing his eyebrows at his brother. “You’ve decided this?” 

 

“Yes—well, I've had some help, and I'm still trying to wrestle with my own demons about it, but it’s the truth. I will still try and help the world however I can, but you come first—I will not lose you again.”  

 

* * *

 

Three days later, Thor gets a transmission.  

 

“They’re alive,” he breathes, a feeling of warmth spreading through his chest as he looks down at the small device in his hand. He rushes to tell Loki. 

 

* * *

 

“It’s Valkyrie—she's bringing the remaining Asgardians to Midgard, and she is almost here,” Thor tells the assembled team. “I must ask for your help, my friends. The Asgardian refugees, they need somewhere to live. We must find a new home, one to replace Asgard.”  

 

“I’m sure we can find somewhere for your people to start a new life,” Steve says.  

 

“It’ll just take a bit of the ol’ delegating skills, but I'm sure it won’t be that hard, with how much space there is now,” Tony agrees, though the last part makes everyone wince a little bit. “Have any places in mind, Point Break?” 

 

Thor shares a glance with Loki and smiles.  

 

“I do, in fact.”  

 

* * *

 

“It’s perfect,” Thor says. He, Loki, and Valkyrie stand atop a hill, looking over the green fields that are soon to be inhabited by the remaining Aesir.  

 

“Kind of a bummer, knowing your dad died like right over there, though, isn’t it?” Valkyrie asks, pointing in a vague direction. 

 

“Not at all. He wanted us to start a life here. This, this is exactly right.” Thor looks satisfied, a smile on his face that hasn’t been there for months.  

 

“Well, we could stand around looking at it all day, or we could actually start building. Unless all those Asgardians are going to live outside, exposed to the elements,” Loki comments snidely.  

 

“Better get to work then, Lackey,” Valkyrie snarks back, earning an eyeroll from the youngest god.  

 

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to be building alone, remember?” Thor reminds them.  

 

“Then where is Stark and his team? You'd think those slackers would be here by now,” Loki scoffs.  

 

“He dares keep the royal family of Asgard waiting?” Valkyrie proclaims with an air of dramatics. Thor cracks a light smile in response. 

 

“Get your collective panties out of a bunch, I'm right here,” comes Stark’s voice over their coms. “Team’s right behind. Clear a landing space for me, would ya?”  

 

Tony lands nearby and steps out of his suit, then says something to FRIDAY. A few miles away, several large trucks come into view over the hills.  

 

“Well, don’t just stand there! Tell me what you guys have in mind . . .” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda lackluster chapter, but 'tis a stepping stone!


End file.
